CASBO School Business Spring 2019

California Association of School Business Officials

Spring 2019 Simple strategies for creating high-powered teams Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much – Helen Keller

Mental health in schools

Top-of-mind topics

A multi-pronged approach to tackle the crisis within

Seven key areas leaders should be monitoring in the days ahead

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contents

Volume 84 I Number One I Spring 2019

departments 9

11

Checking in The times they are a-changin’ Molly McGee Hewitt

13

In focus CASBO member profile: Chris Mano

15

In focus CASBO associate member profile: John Baracy

53

54

55

70

Out & about

20

Bottom line Opportunities abound!

Christina Aguilar

Book club A business consultant’s heartwarming, military-style guide to leadership

28

Leadership Who succeeds in school business today?

Last words

interview 28

Alberto M. Carvalho Superintendent shares his experiences with school development, tech, equity issues Julie Phillips Randles

cover story 36

46

Simple strategies for creating high-powered teams Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much – Helen Keller Jennifer Fink

features 20

Mental health in schools A multi-pronged approach to tackle the crisis within Jerry Fingal

46

Top-of-mind topics Seven key areas leaders should be monitoring in the days ahead Jennifer Snelling

California School Business / casbo.org

5

ABOUT CASBO The California Association of School Business Officials is the premier resource for professional development in all aspects of school business.

Founded in 1928, CASBO serves more than 24,000 members by providing certifications and training, promoting business best practices, and creating opportunities for professional collaboration.

CASBO members represent every facet of school business management and operations. The association offers public school leaders an entire career’s worth of growth opportunities.

publisher editor in chief communications manager features editor contributors

Molly McGee Hewitt Tatia Davenport Joyce Tribbey Julie Phillips Randles Jerry Fingal Jennifer Fink Nicole Krueger

CASBO MISSION

Jennifer Snelling

As the recognized authority in California school business, CASBO is a member-driven association

design/layout advertising art

that promotes ethical values; develops exceptional leaders; advocates for, and supports the needs

Sharon Adlis Tracy Brown

of, members; and sets the standard for excellence through top-quality professional development

advertising sales manager

and mentorship, meaningful collaboration and communication, and unparalleled innovation.

CASBO BY DESIGN For the past 15 years, CASBO has been dedicated to

casbo officers president

the organizational planning discipline as a method for guiding the association into a successful future.

This year, the association embarked on its sixth such

president-elect

plan, CASBO by Design 2.0. This living, breathing document guides the association in its long-term planning process, which is grassroots in nature,

vice president

invigorating in procedure and motivating in outcome.

CASBO has long been committed to organizational

immediate past president

planning because the approach has consistently

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Christina Aguilar Downey Unified School District Molly Schlange University Preparatory School Jamie Dial Hanford Elementary School District Nina Boyd Orange County Department of Education

helped the association envision its future and determine the clear steps to get there. The road map that strategic planning provides has allowed CASBO to remain focused on its unique mission, goals and objectives and to respond effectively to a continually changing environment.

For more information on CASBO by Design, visit casbo.org > About > CASBO by Design.

www.casbo.org California School Business (ISSN# 1935-0716) is published quarterly by the California Association of School Business Officials, 1001 K Street, 5th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 447-3783. Periodicals postage paid at Sacramento and at additional mailing office. Submit address changes online by logging into your account profile at casbo.org.

Articles published in California School Business are edited for style, content and space prior to publication. Views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent CASBO policies or positions. Endorsement by CASBO of products and services advertised in California School Business is not implied or expressed.

Copyright 2019 CASBO. All rights reserved. The contents of the publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

Published March 2019

6 California School Business / Spring 2019

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8 California School Business / Spring 2019

CHECKING IN

The times they are a-changin’ I’ve always loved the lyrics to the Bob Dylan song, “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” It seems as if no matter when they’re read, sung or uttered, they remain true. For those of us in public education – and in society – the times continue to evolve. The only constant is the change, and California continues to be on the forefront. The profession of school business and its operations is a great example of these changing times. While schools may be an iconic symbol, the way in which they’re administered and served is in constant flux. If you’re a professional with more than 10 years in the industry, you’ve witnessed firsthand the effect of these changes.

Our workforce is changing, technology is continually being enhanced and improved, the needs of our students and staffs are quickly evolving, and the public we serve is continuing to be more and more involved. We’ve weathered recessions, prosperity, a looming expectation of political change, general economic uncertainty and an era of confrontation and, at times, exasperation.

Like many of you, I recognize that our profession, state and country need strong, dedicated leadership from people of high integrity. Our future is dependent on how we solve problems, work together and create solutions. Which leads me to point out that the theme for this year’s CASBO Annual Conference is right on target: Cultivating Connections – Collaborate, Communicate, Create.

Our country was founded and built by people coming together and cultivating connections that enhanced our society. We learned through our development to collaborate, communicate and create opportunities. Our country has endured civil war, world wars, racial unrest and perilous times, but what has sustained us is the belief in our country and our vision as a nation where freedom and democracy are embraced and celebrated. We have cared for and about each other, sought to fight injustice and worked to provide opportunities to all people. I love being a part of the home of the free and the land of the brave!

As a native Californian, I have also witnessed the growth and development of our state. As a child, I saw the orange groves and strawberry fields of Southern California become bustling communities. I watched the creation of interstate highways that not only crisscross our state but allow our ports to expand and flourish. I saw our population grow as Americans flocked to the state for our jobs, our schools and our weather. I also watched the diversity of our population explode into an international smorgasbord of people and talents. I saw times of prosperity and challenges, and I always knew the people and natural resources of our state would survive. I still believe in our state, our people and our public schools.

As a profession, California school business will continue to experience change. How we did business before will definitely not be how we do business in the future. Our success will rely on our ability to adapt to these changes and keep our core traditions and values of professionalism, integrity and a never-ending commitment to the children we serve. Each of us must examine ourselves and our contributions and strive to improve and enhance our skills and expertise. We need to embrace the changes before us and strive to see the opportunities!

CASBO member leaders understand this! Through their dedication and commitment to the profession, our association continues to change and improve.

Today, we’re stronger and more committed than ever to our profession and our network of California school business professionals. We’ve embraced change and continually seek to find ways to enhance our service and our profession. In the words of Buzz Lightyear, “To infinity and beyond!” z z z

Molly McGee Hewitt CEO & Executive Director

California School Business / casbo.org

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BOT TOM LINE

Opportunities abound!

As I write this column, I’m struck by the speed with which my year as casbo president has moved. It seems like just yesterday that I stood before you in Sacramento and began this adventure.

It’s been an amazing year filled with opportunities!

Of all the experiences and opportunities, the greatest moments have been when I’ve had the chance to represent you before the California Legislature and other governing bodies, to speak and attend your section events and, frankly, to just make contact with so many outstanding casbo members and colleagues. Your stories, your comments and your dedication to our profession have been truly inspiring!

So many of you commented on my logo for the casbo 2019 Annual Conference & California School Business Expo – that special tree that represents our growth, our families and our various organizations, blooming with gears of varying sizes and shapes. For me, the gears represent the many different dynamics of our members and casbo’s ongoing work to create high-quality public schools. These symbols represent the qualities and characteristics I most admire in our profession.

And I really do believe we are a family! And I know for sure that with our roots firmly planted, our profession can grow, expand and change as the needs of our students and our state grow.

I love knowing that I’m part of this professional family, and I value each branch and individual involved. My hope is that we continue to nurture, grow and enhance our profession and our association. casbo not only offers professional development, mentorship and certifications to our members, we

also provide that sense of family that can sustain your network and relationships.

The gears speak to me as well; I’ve always been fascinated with how things work. Gears are a symbol for how momentum can be achieved when opposite and similar gears work in cooperation with each other. They’re different sizes, weights and types, but when they operate in concert, they function efficiently and effectively.

I see the gears in the tree as our sections working together, our professional councils providing networks and our association creating forward momentum.

For me, the uniqueness of each gear and its function within the whole symbolizes

By collaborating, communicating and creating opportunities, we can build our own strong careers while also establishing casbo as the foremost authority on school business. the way school business professionals operate in sync with each other to provide the very best for our students and our organizations.

My goal this year has been to help our members and our association cultivate connections. By collaborating, communicating and creating opportunities, we can build our own strong careers while also establishing casbo as the foremost authority on school business.

This year, you’ve given me the gift of cultivating those connections. I value each member, each leader and our professional staff. I’ve witnessed firsthand the power of collaboration, and I know that when we practice that, our strength is multiplied! I’ve also loved communicating with you and sharing the vision and mission of the association.

It’s been an honor to serve as your president as we create the casbo of the future. Through our member leaders, and with our casbo by Design 2.0 strategic plan, I see an association that continues to be member-focused, member-led and member-driven. The opportunities for our members, our profession and our association abound!

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity of a lifetime to represent you and to serve. z z z

Christina Aguilar President

California School Business / casbo.org

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12 California School Business / Spring 2019

IN FOCUS

Chris Mano

Rising student enrollment has kept him on his toes

By Nicole Krueger

Photography by Hope Harris

IF THERE’S ONE THING CHRIS MANO HAS LEARNED TO APPRECIATE, it’s that newschool smell.

Since he joined Burton School District nearly two decades ago, its student population has more than doubled in size. Its charter program has burgeoned to comprise more than 40 percent of enrollment. Its technology cache has expanded to include a mobile device for every student, plus Wi-Fi hotspots for high school and middle school students who don’t have internet access at home. And the district has been operating in nonstop building mode just to keep up with it all.

It’s a lot for any chief business official to juggle. But for Mano, that’s what keeps things interesting “Every day is a new day. There’s nothing boring about schools,” he says.

In the swelling town of Porterville, where affordable housing has lured many families fleeing more expensive markets, Burton vies with Porterville Unified School District to attract new students. A larger student population means more funding to reinvest in

making the district even better, which in turn helps attract more students.

“We have a healthy competition, and I don’t think a lot of other districts see that,” he says.

“We have two districts vying for every student we can get. Burton has always had a solid reputation for being a high-performing district, and we’ve tried to maintain that edge.”

Constant expansion isn’t easy. Building a new school in California is an onerous task, he says – arguably one of the most difficult aspects of the state’s education system. And that’s not even counting the complex master planning required to manage the overall growth and address future needs before they become problems.

But it’s worth it, he says, when he sees students’ and parents’ excitement as they walk the halls of their new school for the first time.

If anyone is equipped to handle the growth, it’s Mano. He started attending CASBO events 15 years ago, drawing around himself a small circle of friends. Before he knew it, he was serving on the Central Section Board

of Directors, organizing the annual fall conference, networking with people from all over the region, and speaking in front of 150-plus people.

For a self-proclaimed introvert, it was a massive trial by fire.

“The focus on leadership has really helped me in my career, especially where I am now as a CBO,” he says. “It’s about getting out of your shell and expanding your horizons.

CASBO really helped me do that in ways I never imagined. Once I was put in that role, it really lit a fire in me.”

The fire extends beyond his long work hours, when he finally has time for other passions such as bicycling, traveling the world or binge-watching Netflix with his wife. Mostly, though, he dedicates it to the students who get even more excited over the new-school smell than he does.

“Serving the community, teachers and students – it gives you a purpose in your career,” he says. z z z

California School Business / casbo.org

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IN FOCUS

John Baracy

He’s helping to rebuild California schools, one bond at a time

By Nicole Krueger

Photography by Hope Harris

UPDATING AGING SCHOOL BUILDINGS ACROSS THE STATE IS NO SMALL TASK. But John Baracy is working to minimize the cost to taxpayers.

California, prompting local school districts to propose 1,018 bond initiatives between 2004 and 2016, securing $91.1 billion in funding for infrastructure projects.

As managing director of public finance for Raymond James & Associates, Inc., he assists districts with selling the bonds that have become a crucial source of funding for school infrastructure projects.

In the recent midterm election, voters approved more than 90 local bonds for school building projects, from security upgrades to new facilities.

“A lot of schools need modernization. It has definitely been an issue over the years,” says Baracy, whose firm was the state’s top underwriter of negotiated general obligation bonds (by par amount) for California K-12 school districts in 2018. “Our role is to maximize investments and achieve the lowest possible interest rate to keep tax rates within the range promised to voters.”

In a state with one of the highest K-12 bond issuances in the nation – where voters have historically passed some eight in 10 school bond measures – it’s a dynamic business that has evolved drastically over the past decade. Seven in 10 of the state’s 300,000plus classrooms are more than 25 years old, according to the Public Policy Institute of

He joined Raymond James to open the firm’s Los Angeles office last June.

A CASBO associate member for the past 14 years, he helps keep school business leaders up to date about how market changes, new legislation and interest rates are likely to affect future bond sales.

“Going through the process of seeing how a project goes from an idea to an actual physical structure to a learning environment that produces well-prepared young adults – it’s a great experience to see that process unfold,” he says.

“It’s more or less about informing the CASBO membership about hot topics and ongoing issues that arise in the finance space so they have a good idea of issues that may come up or certain laws and requirements they need to be aware of when they undertake a financing,” he says.

During his nearly 25 years in public finance, Baracy has collaborated with districts of all sizes to ensure their bond sales are as efficient and effective as possible. He began his career as an intern for a local investment bank in Phoenix, where his interest in public finance quickly blossomed.

When he’s not wading through school bond issues, Baracy spends his time with family, coaching baseball and basketball for his 8-year-old son. With two kids in public school, including his 6-year-old daughter, he’s deeply invested in California’s education system – both personally and professionally. z z z

He moved to Los Angeles in 2005, drawn by the state’s intriguing bond marketplace, where his innovative approach has helped save taxpayers millions of dollars on K-12 schools.

California School Business / casbo.org

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FEATURE

MENTAL HEALTH IN SCHOOLS A multi-pronged approach to tackle the crisis within

By Jerry Fingal

The numbers are startling. From 1999 to 2016, the suicide rate in the u.s. increased 30 percent. Suicides increased across all demographics. The causes were difficult to pinpoint.

Inevitably, this broad societal trend has become an issue in schools.

“A few decades ago, the number, severity and types of student mental health challenges presenting in schools appeared fewer and only at the high school level,” says Susan Coats, a school psychologist in the Baldwin Park Unified School District, a casbo organizational subscriber. “There were enough schoolemployed mental health professionals, such as school psychologists and school counselors, to respond to these students’ needs.”

But all that changed as suicide became the second-leading cause of death among 10- to 24-year-olds.

And the increase of students with significant mental health and behavioral needs has reached down into the elementary grades within the last decade, according to Coats, who has been with Baldwin Park Unified since 1989.

California School Business / casbo.org

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MENTAL HEALTH IN SCHOOLS

With an estimated 20 to 25 percent of students dealing with emotional issues at any one time, schools face a heavy demand.

22 California School Business / Spring 2019

“Schools actively responded, but the increase in youth number and severity, including those youth with suicidal ideations, overwhelmed the existing staff and community agencies.”

The sudden upsurge eventually led to legislative action. In 2016, the California Legislature passed a bill that requires schools to have suicide-prevention policies for grades seven through 12. The law, Assembly Bill 2246, requires school districts to adopt a comprehensive approach that calls for coordinating with local public health agencies and training all staff members in recognizing the signs of serious emotional distress in students.

More legislative efforts have followed. A law requiring school districts to update their suicide-prevention policies every five years was passed in 2018. Other recent laws require school districts to print the number of a suicideprevention hotline on the back of student id cards and provide money for suicideprevention training. More legislative efforts are in the pipeline, including one to increase the number of school psychologists on campuses. At the national level, u.s. Rep. Grace Napolitano (d-El Monte) has introduced legislation to create school-based mental health services nationwide.

While 86 percent of California school districts have since adopted suicideprevention policies, the robustness of their efforts varies. The model policy put out by the California Department of Education (cde) notes that its suggested steps are exemplary and not prescriptive.

There’s no provision to ensure compliance. And despite the best efforts of the Legislature and school districts, the need for social-emotional services by students often outstrips resources.

With an estimated 20 to 25 percent of students dealing with emotional issues at any one time, schools face a heavy demand.

“That’s a pretty big disconnect between the need we know is really huge and schools’ resources,” says Hilva Chan, a cde education program consultant who specializes in student mental health awareness, school safety and school climate issues.

For school districts, it takes a multi-pronged approach to make mental health services a priority, says Monica Nepomucemo, also a cde education program consultant, who oversees the mental health services program.

“You need an invested mental health professional who’s going to bring things to the superintendent,” she says. “You need a supportive superintendent. And then you need to sell it to the staff. Once you get all that, then it trickles down to the students.

“But without the leadership, you can have a mental health professional who is passionate but doesn’t have the support of leadership and vice versa. You can have a superintendent who has the best intentions but doesn’t necessarily have the right person with the knowledge and the connection.”

For school districts, addressing student emotional health is focused on five areas: training teachers and support staff to recognize signs of serious emotional trouble; making changes to school climate to ensure students feel connected, safe and cared for; increasing staff dedicated to emotional health; consolidating local resources, including public health departments and hospitals; and working to destigmatize mental health issues on campus.

Here’s a closer look at these areas.

Training school staff When three students in Clovis Unified School District committed suicide during a three-month period in 2016, it

galvanized the district and community into action. The district is addressing students’ emotional health in multiple ways, but one of the most apparent is training to recognize signs of emotional distress in students. The district trained more than 2,000 people, including all teachers.

And there were additional layers of training for students to become peer counselors at the high school level, and for staff members to act as a suicide prevention liaison at every school.

“Of course, we don’t expect our bus drivers to step in and meet that need to the extent that a trained school psychologist could, but they’re positioned in such a way that they can make that impact initially,” says Kelly Avants, spokeswoman for Clovis Unified, a casbo organizational subscriber.

“We recognize that a classroom teacher is first and foremost a classroom teacher,” Avants says. “But they have

that close proximity, they know their students, they’re attuned to changes in their behavior. So, a lot of that training is about not only recognizing the signs but then bringing them over to that school psychologist or someone else who is trained on a much deeper level.”

In San Bernardino County, where four students committed suicide in a two-week period in 2018, similar widespread training is being conducted with the help of a grant from Kaiser Permanente.

“Our goal is to have 150 schools trained within San Bernardino County on mental health first aid,” says San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre, a casbo organizational subscriber. “That will provide that first line of support to focus on the signs and risk factors for mental illness and addiction disorders.”

Such training may one day become required. For now, cde offers Youth

For school districts, it takes a multi-pronged approach to make mental health services a priority.

California School Business / casbo.org

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MENTAL HEALTH IN SCHOOLS

Resources for schools The California Department of Education offers these resources to help districts: California Department of Education Mental Health Services Information on state services and model suicide-prevention policy: cde.ca.gov/ls/cg/mh/ Project Cal-Well An extensive collection of resources that includes “A Guide to Increase Mental Health Services for Students,” School Climate Improvement Resource Package and K-12 Toolkit for Mental Health Prevention: cde.ca.gov/ls/cg/mh/projectcalwell.asp

Also at the forefront of promoting the emotional health of students is improving school climate by making students feel safe, supported and cared for.

24 California School Business / Spring 2019

Mental Health First Aid training for school districts that request it.

“We think that every b o d y o n campus needs to be trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid,” Nepomucemo says. “And not just the teachers, because there’s a lot of interaction that happens with frontline staff like secretaries and janitors. They have such an important role that sometimes we neglect to recognize or we recognize it but just peripherally.

“The lunch staff, the bus drivers, all those people that are with students during unstructured time, they need to know the signs and symptoms, and they usually don’t get any professional development.”

Nepomucemo says there are nascent efforts in Sacramento to include Youth Mental Health First Aid training as a part of teacher credentialing standards.

“You would hope that, at some point, it does become law because we know that teachers are not getting that information in their credentialing programs,” she says. “So, we get these new, energetic and fired-up teachers that go into a classroom and then run into someone who has anxiety or their father is incarcerated and their ace (adverse childhood experience) level is high, and they don’t know what to do at that point. So they would likely refer to the mental health professional on the school site. But we also know there is a shortage of mental health professionals and not every school site has one.”

Improving school climate Also at the forefront of promoting the emotional health of students is improving school climate by making students feel safe, supported and cared for.

Project Cal-Well is a federal grantfunded project aimed at raising mental health awareness and promoting wellness among k-12 students in California.

Chan is the state coordinator for the project that includes the abc School District and casbo organizational subscribers Garden Grove School District and the San Diego County Office of Education.

One of its primary goals is to improve school climate by using researchbased violence prevention and positive behavioral intervention programs.

Chan says that improving school climate is an important preventative measure for student emotional issues.

“If you can do that really well, you’re reducing the need for mental health services,” she says.

To achieve that, student engagement is critical.

The three school districts involved have implemented Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports to address behavior issues in a way that is preventative rather than punitive.

“When you have students who come from homes that are toxic, or from toxic situations, if they come into a nurturing and caring and supportive environment, they are going to thrive,” Nepomucemo says. “They have those six hours with caring adults who are investing their time and their belief in that student as opposed to going to a school that has just high expectations and no flexibility.”

For some people, she says, that might look like “coddling.”

“Students come in and they’re faced with, ‘You have to take this test. I’m sorry about whatever happened to you last night, but you have to take it.’ That’s just not being real with what life is about.”

For Coats, school climate is foundational to an emotionally healthy environment.

“The best approaches for schools to foster good mental health for students is to build a positive school culture and climate; develop trusting and communicative relationships between teachers, their students and families; and actively link with the appropriate community and health agencies when families are in need,” she says.

Increasing trained mental health specialists As Clovis Unified examined its resources in the aftermath of student suicides, it found its school psychologists were devoted to tasks besides student emotional health.

“We realized that a majority of their time was actually being utilized for special education and for assessments,” says Associate Superintendent Norm Anderson. “We realized we needed more school psychologists who were mental health specialists who could focus just on the social-emotional issues that are going on, especially in our secondary schools.”

Clovis Unified added a full-time psychologist at each of its six high schools.

“We now have someone whose primary work is to provide services for our students who are having socialemotional issues,” he says. “I think that is a good focus for us right now.”

Increasing such staff is one of the policy issues that the cde’s Student Mental Health Work Group is working on.

“We need more folks on the school sites who have their pps (pupil personnel services) credentials to be able to support students through their behavioral health needs,” Nepomucemo says. “It’s often just a temporary setback, whether it’s issues of isolation or they broke up with a boyfriend or a girlfriend. How can we support them through that and

still maintain high expectations but also flexibility?”

Increased psychology staff would get a boost under a bill introduced this year by Assemblyman Kansen Chu (d-San Jose). It would require school districts to have one mental health professional per 600 students, who would be accessible during school hours. According to the bill, the state currently has one psychologist per 1,265 students and one school social worker for every 12,870 students.

Consolidating resources At Clovis Unified, one of the successful initiatives has been its Comprehensive We l l n e s s C o m m i t t e e , w h i c h w a s formed to address student suicide and raise awareness of mental health issues. It brought together agencies and organizations from throughout Fresno County that had been working separately on the issue.

“It has been very powerful for us,” Avants says. “It’s indicative of what you can do to consolidate resources. Many of the things that we are doing today existed previously, but they weren’t as refined or as expanded as they are today.”

The committee broke down the silos separating services and promoted access. For example, in the past, students could be treated for an acute psychiatric episode by a public agency over the weekend and return to school on Monday, and no one knew any different. Now, agencies advise parents to contact schools to get further support for their child.

“It lets the parents know that it’s ok to contact us, and that we can look out for their child when they return,” Anderson says.

A similar initiative took off in San Bernardino County in the wake of last year’s suicides.

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MENTAL HEALTH IN SCHOOLS

Project Cal-Well is a federal grant-funded project aimed at raising mental health awareness and promoting wellness among K-12 students in California.

“There’s been a huge change with this collective-impact approach where all the agencies and partners that have resources are delivering them in collaboration rather than in a siloed approach,” Alejandre says. “We’re much more effective now because we’re really looking at the whole child and the broader needs and trying to really leverage resources to have a greater impact.”

Getting students involved One of the initiatives of Project Cal-Well is to start student chapters of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (nami). It’s a way to educate students and destigmatize emotional health issues.

There are also nami chapters on Baldwin Park Unified’s high school campuses. Such educational efforts are one area Coats believes schools should focus on in the future to help “students and families increase their mental wellness strategies and reduce the stigma around mental illness so they would be willing to ask and receive help when necessary, and not wait until a crisis occurs.”

At Clovis Unified, social-emotional wellness has become part of the associated student body organization on high school campuses. It organizes campus events to promote emotional wellness, such as a recent celebration of National Compliment Day. “Our students provide a lot of guidance for us on what they need, and when we added students to our Comprehensive Wellness Committee, we became a lot brighter because they are there,” Anderson says.

Opening up communication about the issue has paid dividends.

“What we realized is that the more we talked about this topic, the more times we bring it up in front of students, the more information we got about things that they’re struggling with,” he says.

“And when you identify what students are struggling with, you identify what resources are needed.” z z z Jerry Fingal is a freelance writer based in Eugene, Oregon.

What is your district doing to address student mental health? Share your programs on our Facebook page!

26 California School Business / Spring 2019

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28 California School Business / Spring 2019

INTERVIEW

Alberto M. Carvalho

Superintendent shares his experiences with school development, tech, equity issues

Photography by Jimmy Abraham, Miami-Dade County Public Schools

By Julie Phillips Randles

In the digital age, our social media accounts provide a space to reveal our thinking and our values, so it’s no wonder Alberto M. Carvalho, superintendent of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (m-dcps), shares quotes

by Alexander the Great: “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep – I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.”

Breaking up the hive mindset defines Carvalho’s career.

He began as a chemistry/physics/calculus teacher at Miami Jackson Senior High and along the way served as an assistant principal, principal, chief communications officer and school district lobbyist.

After he took the reins in 2008, m-dcps was named as the 2014 College Board Advanced Placement (ap) Equity and Excellence District of the Year and won the 2012 winner of the Broad Prize for Urban Education. Between 2010 and 2013, traditionally underrepresented students earning a three or higher on at least one AP exam increased by six percent annually.

Carvalho himself was named the National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators in 2014, won the 2016 Harold W. McGraw Prize in Education, was named the 2018 National Urban Superintendent of the Year by the Council of Great City Schools and was recognized by Scholastic Administrator as one of “The Fantastic Five” educators making a difference in America. In February, he received the Superintendent of the Year Award from the National Association of Bilingual Education.

As a staunch believer in school choice, he has expanded choice options in Miami-Dade to include more than 1,000 offerings, including curricula in bilingual programs, fine and performing arts, biotechnology, engineering, robotics, aviation and forensic sciences. He founded the award-winning iPreparatory Academy, a model of robust 21st century learning.

And through all of this change, he still kept his eye on the bottom line. He opposed teachers’ unions to institute a merit pay system in 2011 but later earned respect by cutting the district’s budget by $2 billion without firing any teachers, bringing the nation’s fourth-largest school district back from the brink of bankruptcy. He credits this kind of success to his ability to surround himself with the right people.

Certainly, Carvalho’s own elbow grease has produced results. He was one of six children in his family in Portugal, where his father was a custodian and his mother a seamstress.

They lived in a one-room apartment with no running water or electricity, but the young man managed to graduate high school, the only one in his family to earn that degree. He made his way to America at age 18, where he worked odd jobs in construction, washed dishes in a restaurant and lived homeless on the streets for a short time.

Thanks to some helping hands and a student visa, he was able to attend classes at Broward College and later Barry University. He’s embraced the South Florida culture, turning down similar positions in Pinellas, Florida, and New York City. casbo sat down with Carvalho to explore his ideas on school leadership in 2019.

Who are your role models for the work you do?

Role models are the people we look up to, those whose work and values we admire and try to emulate in our own mission every day. I must place my father at the top of the list.

Although he had limited schooling and even more limited opportunities, he made the most of what he had and provided his family with a place to live, food to eat and, most importantly, a set of ethics that serves us every day of our lives.

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Alberto M. Carvalho

classes and find out how they are doing that day. I usually end up visiting three or four schools back-to-back, and at the end of that tour, I feel re-energized and ready to tackle any challenges or opportunities that lie ahead.

On days where I am unable to visit schools, I remind myself of the importance in striking the delicate balance between focusing on the short term and the long term. It is critical to pace oneself – knowing when things are urgent and when more patience is warranted – and prioritize those things that really matter the most to student achievement.

You created two school models based on research and education theory, and you serve as the principal at these schools in addition to your role as superintendent. Tell us about those schools and how they differ from traditional campuses.

“No matter where you go,” he would say, “There you are.” I didn’t always understand that when I was a little boy, but today, when I stand before the Legislature in Tallahassee, or welcome a foreign dignitary to one of our schools, or visit the White House to consult on education, my father’s words come back to me and “there I am.”

I also consider myself an avid reader, particularly on the topic of leadership, and many of our society’s greatest thinkers have served as role models for me as well. I have always held Abraham Lincoln in high regard and do find myself emulating certain aspects of his leadership style.

A new favorite is Gen. Stanley McChrystal, whose recent tome regarding the myths of leadership has led me to deeply reflect on my own practice. Additionally, I consider many of the members of my cabinet and senior staff – all of whom embody distinct leadership qualities that I admire and am grateful to have as part of my team – to be my role models as well.

As a superintendent of an enormous district with a $4 billion budget, how do you manage stress and avoid burnout?

Whenever I’m feeling stressed, I like to go back to where my journey as an educator first started … in the classroom. I like to observe, quietly in the background, the magic that happens in our classrooms with our students across the district. I like to see teachers in action to remind myself of how important the work that we are doing truly is. I also like to walk through the schools, chat with our students during lunchtime or in between

30 California School Business / Spring 2019

iPrep Academy was established as two schools, one for beginning students in grades pk, k, 1 and 2, and one for students in high school. We added a grade each year as students got older, and now we have a complete pk-12 school, where students can graduate from the same school where they started. That, in Florida, is unique.

But we went beyond that in studying how students learn, how they move and how they exercise, and we came up with a school based on “blended learning” where teachers do more than dictate lessons to kids. They serve as guides to enhance the students’ learning experience. A teacher may present a short lesson on the American economy of the 1700s, and students then look at different aspects of that economy on their own – what did farmers grow, what was imported from other countries, what were the most important shipping routes in the new American colonies. Sometimes, this exploration is done by students on their own and sometimes in a group.

The vision for iPrep was to literally turn the traditional school setting on its head. Instead of a traditional classroom setup with desks in rows, instruction takes place in a much more flexible setting where students are free to leverage technology and work in collaborative groups on couches or beanbags. The classrooms are essentially large open spaces – some without actual walls. There are no bells at the school and all students work on laptop devices, enabling teachers to act more like content facilitators who are able to provide students with a more personalized learning experience.

We have been fortunate enough to franchise the iPrep model in a variety of ways, incorporating an iPrep Math model in each of the district’s four dozen traditional middle schools. We also opened up a second iPrep on the campus of one of our traditional high schools in the northern area of Miami-Dade County.

How do you get buy-in for challenging initiatives you’ve implemented like changes to school funding and 1:1 programs?

When you’re introducing something new to the public, it’s important to lay the proper foundation. You must provide some reasons why your proposal will work.

Base your proposal on a combination of previous successes and developing trends and show why it is projected to be a success. Introduce the idea to stakeholders – community leaders, school leadership, taxpayers – show how it will benefit them, and ask if you can count on their support. Take time to present it, answer questions, and treat people’s concerns with sincere consideration.

When we implemented the Digital Convergence initiative, a program to provide digital services to students districtwide, we really elevated the importance of achieving digital equity within

our community. This was something tangible that people were able to understand and rally behind. The same could be said about the community support we were able to secure for our referendum on teacher salaries and school safety. We held nearly a dozen town halls across Miami-Dade County to show the taxpayers what our needs were and demonstrate that we needed them to help address an important issue that has both short-term and long-term ripple effects across the entire community.

You’re big on using school data to drive decision-making.

Tell us how your system works and what data you focus on.

Data is everything and helps drive student achievement. This is most evident in a process called data/com, where principals of fragile schools – schools that are at risk of receiving low performance grades from the state – come together along with

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Alberto M. Carvalho

my entire cabinet to examine their schools’ data in hopes of finding solutions that will help their students and schools improve. It’s a process that is a bit unnerving for principals who must sit at the table with our top executives and explain the challenges they face while my cabinet and other senior staff review their data. There may be a scenario where third grade math students are not performing well, and we learn that the school’s best math teacher is out for several months on medical leave. In such a case, our chief of human capital management can help find a very qualified math teacher who can report to the school the next day and begin to help solve the problem.

The data/com process is but one example of our district’s efforts to continuously reflect and evolve in the way we think about and use data. In addition to our data/com dashboard, we have created numerous other platforms and dashboards to monitor everything from student attendance, to expenditures

32 California School Business / Spring 2019

from our insurance program, to facilities projects. These all contribute to our ability to provide a more immediate response to our schools and stakeholders.

What future do you see for the use of “big data” in schools, and what do you think is the most positive effect of this trend on both school business leaders and students?

The use of “big data” has undoubtedly revolutionized the way we as a society communicate and live. It has and will continue to play a big role in education as well. The availability of data from multiple facets of the system – whether academic, operational, financial, or human capital – will continue enabling practitioners to make better decisions, faster. Data is being used to identify opportunities for remediation, acceleration and the continuation of support to ensure students are able to perform on grade level.

Data is informing absolutely everything from teachers’ specific professional development needs to utility use at schools. The

next big thing is to continue leveraging data to better predict performance and act on the data provided even faster.

You led a lot of tech infrastructure work that created a digital transformation for your district. What advice do you have for school leaders considering tech transformations?

Technology is a part of modern living, and our students are growing up immersed in it with a remote or a smartphone or a tablet in their hands at all times. They are the “digital natives,” while the adults who have to learn the process are the “digital immigrants.”

School leaders need to institute certain technological processes that transform school buildings into modern learning centers. They need Wi-Fi throughout the system and considerable bandwidth to enable many students and teachers to do their work at the same time.

Students may need their own devices to work on, along with free or discounted internet service at home.

There’s a need for safe storage, so that test results, grades and records can be kept away from the effects of temperature, bad weather, even mischief.

You also need ongoing training and professional development opportunities for our educators to ensure they are up to date with the latest technology and instructional delivery methods that appropriately leverage it.

My advice involves ensuring that you have a plan; that you abide by your timeline; and that you enlist the private sector to develop partnerships that will allow you to provide the necessary resources to students, parents and educators.

How did your district prepare its infrastructure for digital access, and who was at the table when you were making technology decisions?

We’re very fortunate to have some dedicated individuals working on our staff who were very thorough in their approach to building out our technology infrastructure. Some were finance experts who leveraged the e-rate from the federal government to help us install Wi-Fi and the necessary equipment, as well as servers, in our schools.

In 2012, the school system was successful in earning the community’s support to pass a $1.2 billion bond referendum to provide for infrastructure and technology upgrades in our school facilities.

Some staff members were more versed in electronic book formats, and they helped us envision what it would be like for students to carry a tablet or notebook instead of multiple heavy books.

It was really a group effort by a lot of experts, some inside the organization and quite a few from the outside as well. We sought the input of community leaders, private sector experts and ultimately our own educators to make sure we heard from various perspectives before we finalized any decisions.

The approach to digital convergence in Miami-Dade County Public Schools is unique in the sense that we did not focus on the actual devices until the very end. We prioritized identifying the applications that students would be expected to use in the classroom and let that really be the driving force behind the entire initiative. Once we identified those applications, we shifted our focus to increasing the bandwidth and connectivity within our schools to support student and staff use of the technology being provided. Once those three elements were figured out, we then worked to identify the right devices to deploy to schools.

You’re a past president of the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents. Why is diversity among district office staff important?

Diversity among our staff is important because we serve a very diverse population, one that changes all the time. For example, after last year’s devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico, we received hundreds of new students from Puerto Rico who needed to get their records updated for us to help them enroll in the right classes.

Fortunately, the administrator who oversaw our records division had lived in Puerto Rico, still has family on the island and knew the importance of this task, so she made it her mission to get it right for each one of those students.

We receive more than 15,000 new foreign-born students each year, and it’s important that we have a diverse team that

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Alberto M. Carvalho

understands the needs of these new students. Miami is a model of what the rest of our country could look like in the future, and school districts need to have some flexibility so they can work with new students who may represent more diversity than those educators usually see.

What activities do you employ to cohesively build a successful school business team with a diverse staff?

Within the entire organization, there are numerous examples of excellent leadership that fosters understanding, cooperation and learning across various lines of difference. We maintain a pulse on how stakeholders feel about our schools by leveraging school climate surveys to gauge how students, employees and parents/guardians feel on a variety of topics. These run the gamut from school safety and food service, to course availability and bus transportation. Feedback on these surveys provide us an opportunity to gauge whether or not there are disparities in what students are experiencing as consumers within our system.

I’m also proud to say that my team is made up of area experts, many of whom have very diverse career experiences – not everyone is a traditional educator from m-dcps, not everyone has been a principal, some people at the table are very young.

There’s value in affording individuals the opportunity to share their diverse perspectives and skill sets for the betterment of the entire system. We must remember that people come from different backgrounds, they are raised with different priorities, but in the end, they want safe, secure homes; a great

34 California School Business / Spring 2019

education for their kids; and good-paying jobs. It’s important to emphasize what we all have in common and think less about our differences.

My cabinet and I are able to do this through our strategic retreats and routine opportunities to connect with one another.

What’s more, we’re intentional about hearing from one another and ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard.

You’ve succeeded in your career despite humble and often adverse beginnings. How do you use your personal experience to help today’s students who are in similar situations thrive in school?

I listen to those students. I like to talk to them individually or in small groups and find out what they have to say, what is bothering them and what makes them happy, too.

Many times, the difficulties they’re experiencing are the same things that I went through as a kid. I like to connect with them on a personal level, developing relationships that last beyond the educational experience in our schools.

I have many stories of students who have experienced homelessness and are now in undergraduate school. I have personally visited them time after time, ensuring they stayed on the path to success, regardless of their circumstances. After all, you cannot teach the mind of the student whose heart you do not touch. z z z Julie Phillips Randles is a freelance writer based in Roseville, California.

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36 California School Business / Spring 2019

COVER STORY

Simple strategies for creating high-powered teams Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.

– Helen Keller

By Jennifer Fink You can’t do everything yourself.

There simply aren’t enough hours in the day to tackle all the tasks necessary to keep the business of schools humming along.

And even if you did somehow find the time and energy to tackle the job alone, it wouldn’t be a good idea.

You have a specific set of inborn strengths, finely honed skills and unique experiences. You also have weaknesses and blind spots. Building a dynamic team allows you to use their expertise and experiences to come up with – and implement – creative solutions outside the realm of possibility for you alone.

To function optimally, school business leaders need to cultivate highly capable teams. Some teams will be ad hoc, pulled together to address an urgent need. Other teams will be more formal. As a leader, you have a great deal of influence over your teams.

“Leadership is key to effective teams,” says Nina Boyd, casbo immediate past president and associate superintendent of governance, leadership and community partnerships for the Orange County Department of Education, a casbo organizational subscriber. “Good leaders have the capacity to involve the right people at the right time and to obtain the appropriate resources to support the work as it moves along.”

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You can use these eight steps to create high-powered, highly effective work teams:

1. Hire the right people.

They have to be smarter and more experienced than me in their specific specialty.

38 California School Business / Spring 2019

You can’t always pick your team members; likely, some pre-date you. But when you have the opportunity to bring new people on board, hire carefully, with an eye toward the skills and perspectives you need to round out your team.

“Building an effective team begins with hiring,” says Sheldon K. Smith, assistant superintendent for the San Luis

Obispo County Office of Education, a casbo organizational subscriber. He requires two qualifications of people who work in his department. The first is, they can’t be a human-hater. “People within the department have to work together.

If a person can’t work with others, they won’t function well in our office,” he explains.

And the second? “They have to be smarter and more experienced than me in their specific specialty. I’m not smart enough to know everything; I don’t think there’s anyone in school business who is.”

Maintaining a running list of the hard and soft skills you need within your department and on your teams can help you make informed decisions when reviewing résumés and considering new hires.

Brett McFadden, superintendent of Nevada Joint Union High School District, a casbo organizational subscriber, agrees that having the right personnel in place is crucial. The 1980 u.s. Men’s Olympic hockey team wasn’t a team of superstars, he says; each player was an amateur, and only a couple went on to play professional hockey. But, in large part because they had “the right people in the right positions and a focus on their mission,” they won the gold medal after a thrilling game against the highly favored, four-time defending Olympic champions, the Soviet Union.

need to be in the classroom supporting their teachers and students,” Christakos says. By emphasizing the urgency and importance of their work, Christakos keeps team members motivated and on task.

2. Emphasize “why.”

“Strong teams have common goals,” says Jayne Christakos, associate superintendent of business, facilities and operations at San Bernardino City Unified School District, another casbo organizational subscriber. It’s easy to get lost in the details, so effective leaders keep their teams focused on the tasks at hand by continually reinforcing the underlying “why” of the work.

Christakos and her team have a vision statement for the business division, and each year, team members work together to develop big goals aligned with their vision and the district’s overall mission.

Christakos also frequently reminds her team of the connections between their daily work and the district’s mission.

“When a principal is complaining that testing was very challenging because the internet was down or tells us it’s too hot or too cold in their classrooms, I feel responsible. Those instructional leaders

3. Insist on diversity.

To be most effective, teams need diversity of perspective and experience. “It’s important that everybody on the team doesn’t think alike or approach things the same way,” says Boyd. “Increasingly, people in education and private industry are realizing that the diversity of a group creates a rich conversation, and in the richness of conversation, new ideas pop up.”

Whenever possible, Boyd suggests including team members with varying expertise. “People can contribute from all different levels within an organization,” she says, noting that the people who work outside of management often have valuable insights to share. “I look for people who have great strengths that will contribute greatly to the work of the team,” Boyd says. When choosing team members, she doesn’t look at titles but at “how I see people interacting with other

The more experience and diversity you have on your teams, the more likely you are to identify – and avoid – potentially expensive and time-consuming problems.

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39

people, how I see them dialoging and interacting.”

The more experience and diversity you have on your teams, the more likely you are to identify – and avoid – potentially expensive and time-consuming problems. “When you have a diverse team, you can ensure that you’re looking at all the issues and navigating potential landmines appropriately to come up with the best possible result,” Boyd says.

If you’re questioning how something was received by the group, it’s on you to ask the question and seek clarity. You should not walk out of the room feeling like there was something left unsaid.

40 California School Business / Spring 2019

keep the personal and emotional piece in check,” Christakos says. “You’re just stating facts. So, let’s say the pool pump at San Bernardino High broke in August.

You put forward and examine the facts; you don’t say someone dropped the ball.

Then you go figure out the next steps and take corrective action.”

The aar process, she says, helps teams take blame and punishment out of the organization and learn and grow from mistakes and mishaps instead.

4. Develop operational norms.

Teams work more effectively when members agree on basic standards for communication and interaction. “It’s really important to make sure there’s a shared vision for how the team will operate,” Boyd says. Some teams will have formal, written documents that govern team interaction. Other teams rely on informal norms. What’s most important is that all team members are aware of and agree to abide by the norms of operation.

“You need agreements on how the team members will communicate with each other and share information. What stays in the group? What can go outside the group? Who releases the information and when?” Boyd says.

School business leaders can set the tone by modeling expected behavior and establishing guidelines for conflict resolution. “You have to help people understand that you can’t take things personally,” Boyd says. “If you’re questioning how something was received by the group, it’s on you to ask the question and seek clarity. You should not walk out of the room feeling like there was something left unsaid.”

At San Bernardino City Unified, the Business Services Division uses the After Action Review (aar) process to learn from mistakes and successes. “We do it for everything because it helps us

5. Establish systems to facilitate communication and problem-solving.

Good leaders give teams “the flexibility to figure out issues on their own, rather than trying to breed learned helplessness,” says Smith.

When Christakos arrived at San Bernardino City Unified, “people would bring all their problems to me,” she says.

So, she developed a Business Operations Leadership Development (bold) team to encourage problem-solving. Now, her 12 direct reports meet once a week for approximately two-and-a-half hours to discuss any issues that have arisen.

They consider solutions and develop their recommendations via an established process; the team presents their ideas to Christakos during regularly scheduled meetings. “Then I can take it to the cabinet and share that it’s been vetted, and here’s our department’s recommendation,” Christakos says.

When needed, Christakos calls in expert advisors. A retired chief business officer frequently works with the bold team.

6. Create connections.

People work best when they feel a genuine sense of connection with their

co-workers. As a leader, you should work to “create an environment where people aren’t just working with each other, they’re working for each other,” says Robyn Benincasa, a firefighter, world-champion adventure racer and team-building expert who will deliver the Second General Session keynote at the casbo 2019 Annual Conference & California School Business Expo in San Diego in April.

When she works with organizations, Benincasa sometimes has employees create and share “life pyramids” as a way to get to know one another. A life pyramid is simply a triangle drawn on a piece of paper, divided into thirds. In the top third of

the triangle, each participant writes down a peak lifetime experience. In the middle third, they jot down two things their co-workers would be surprised to learn about them; and at the bottom, they write three of their life goals. Participants then share their pyramids with one another.

“Even something as simple as that starts connecting people,” Benincasa says. “You discover things like, ‘Oh, you speak three languages?’ Or, ‘You play oboe, too?’”

Benincasa also emphasizes the importance of uncovering and appreciating the gifts and talents of each teammate.

“Those talents may come into play on the professional side, but it also helps people

People work best when they feel a genuine sense of connection with their co-workers.

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develop empathy and awareness, which are essential components of human synergy,” she says.

7. Build capacity.

The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.

If you want a strong, effective team, you must constantly invest both time and money in skill development. As Henry Ford once said, “The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.”

Smith looks for and sends employees – often in pairs – to job-specific training events. “School business can get pretty technical, so it’s helpful to have an extra set of ears to be able to process the information and discuss how it’s relevant in our particular setting.”

Boyd is also a fan of professional development and encourages participation in casbo professional learning opportunities as well as courses on topics

like public speaking at community colleges and universities. “Each experience gives them new avenues for contributing and also gives them experiences in terms of how different groups work and why,” she says.

Additionally, Boyd often pairs team members with people they can “observe, potentially learn and grow from, and then emulate.”

8. Give it time.

Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts to team building. It takes time to develop genuine connections and trust and time to develop operational norms and systems. Cultivating diversity and capacity is an ongoing process.

“Those of us on the school business side tend to be systems thinkers; we think there’s an equation for everything.

There isn’t,” says McFadden. “There are certainly best practices and many things we can do, as leaders, to build strong cohesive teams, but this isn’t a science.

It’s an art.” z z z Jennifer Fink is a freelance writer based in Mayville, Wisconsin.

How is your district building high-powered teams? Tweet us at #CASBO to share your tips!

42 California School Business / Spring 2019

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Top-of-mind topics

46 California School Business / Spring 2019

FEATURE

Seven key areas leaders should be monitoring in the days ahead

By Jennifer Snelling

IT’S BEEN A BUSY YEAR ALREADY in California school business. The teacher strike within the Los Angeles Unified School District and a new governor and Legislature are just a few of the things shaping things in the Golden State. And there is more to come.

Chronically underfunded schools mean that school business officials must continue to be nimble and make more out of less. The good news? We’re getting pretty good at it.

More employees from the private business sector are joining our ranks and bring with them enthusiasm and new, creative ideas for streamlining costs and improving outcomes. We’re using analytics to track those successes and recognize where we can improve. We are also taking ownership of those numbers and finding better ways to share them with our communities.

California School Business / casbo.org

47

Top-of-mind topics Here are the top stories to keep an eye on this year:

1

WHAT’S NEW IN SACRAMENTO? School business officials are watching the actions of our new governor and Legislature to see how they’ll affect schools, says Michael H. Fine, chief executive officer of the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (fcmat).

Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a boost in state education spending of up to $80 billion for public schools, as well as offsetting schools’ pension obligations with a $3 billion investment. Using surplus money from the state’s general fund, Gov. Newsom would wipe out $3 billion of districts’ rising obligations to Calstrs, the pension fund for teachers and administrators. Of this amount, a total of $700 million would be provided to buy down the employer contribution rates in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

48 California School Business / Spring 2019

The governor used a projected $21 billion surplus for new spending in early education and higher education without encroaching on Proposition 98, the formula that determines how much of the state’s General Fund is mandated for k-12 schools and community colleges. He’s also proposing a modest 3.7 percent increase for Prop. 98, and state funding per student would rise by $435 to $12,003.

School groups had called for Gov. Newsom to break with past governors and raise Prop. 9 8 funding beyond the minimally mandated amount. He didn’t, instead using pension relief to do essentially the same thing.

“I found it a thoughtful approach to budgeting and was pleasantly surprised,” says Robert McEntire, chief business officer for Covina-Valley Unified School District, a casbo organizational subscriber. “But I hope to see the legislation deal with adequacy. If we don’t deal with adequacy, we’re just playing around the edges and not addressing the real issues.”

Additionally, school business officials will be watching Assembly Bills (ab) 13 and 48 and Senate Bill 14, which would provide facilities funding, as well as ab 124, which would fund preschools. All these bills could save money for districts while allowing them to achieve goals by using the total budget, not just the General Fund. For instance, if a district can use facilities money to repair or revamp a room for career and technical education, it saves money in the General Fund.

2

THE SILENT RECESSION Despite projected increases in state and local funding, California school districts face financial pressures that threaten to destabilize their budgets and force reductions in student services.

The nonprofit WestEd released a paper called, “Silent Recession: Why California School Districts Are Underwater Despite Increases in Funding” explaining the situation.

“Although California’s education funding formula provides revenues that grow incrementally each year, these increases are not based on the actual growth in the costs of operating a school,” say report authors Kelsey Krausen and Jason Willis. “Consequently, some districts are experiencing cost increases that outpace revenue increases.”

When the Great Recession hit, districts eliminated or consolidated many positions with the intention to add them back as the economy rebounded. The longer-term prognosis is that California schools remain underfunded, ranking 41st in the nation in per-pupil funding. The escalation in institutional costs, health care, special education and pension costs is something dis-

tricts have little control over, says McEntire. “Even though it appears there’s a lot of money coming into education, many of us are looking at significant cuts to maintain solvency.

Coming off 10 challenging years, we have been forced to act more like private industry: nimble, agile and adapted to meet the needs of our students and community.”

3

TEACHER STRIKES All these budget constraints place financial pressure on districts that can lead to teacher strikes. “If the lausd strike shows nothing else,” says McEntire, “it’s the importance of the relationship between the administration and the associations.”

Conversations must be collaborative with a common understanding of what each step, each challenge and each bargaining chip mean. McEntire recommends making sure all information published is verifiable and, if that includes a projection based on an assumption, to be clear and transparent about that.

“No matter what you show in a three-year financial projection, it will never be the same,” he says. “We’re always chasing the state’s projections. We walk everyone through how we develop our revenue and, where people disagree, we have honest conversations.”

4

CHARTER SCHOOLS The issue of charter schools is also in need of clarification statewide. There’s long been a standoff between charters and traditional public schools over

what extent charters are subject to California’s open meetings laws. ab 276, authored by Assemblyman Jose Medina (d-Riverside), would put charter schools and entities managing charter schools under the Ralph M. Brown Act or BagleyKeene Open Meeting Act – whichever is applicable.

One fallout from the Los Angeles Unified strike is that Gov. Newsom has called on State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond to establish a panel of experts to examine the effect of charter school growth on district finances.

The panel will have four months to look at the issue and report back to the governor

by July 1, reports EdSource. Thurmond has not yet announced who will be on the panel, but its formation raises the likelihood that California’s charter school laws may undergo revision over the coming year.

5

LEADERSHIP AMID A CHANGING WORKFORCE The country will reach a new milestone in 2035. That year, the u.s. Census Bureau projects that older adults will edge out children in population size: People age 65 and over are expected to number 78 million, while children under age 18 will total 76.7 million.

A quick look at recent publications of the casbo Job Listings indicates an increased need for experienced chief business officials (cbo s ) but a limited number of experienced candidates. “It’s an overall societal issue,” says casbo ceo & Executive Director Molly McGee Hewitt. “There’s a graying of leadership. We have a tremendous influx of new employees from the private sector and lots of folks in leadership who are near retirement age.”

California School Business / casbo.org

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Top-of-mind topics Wi t h a h i g h n u m b e r o f n e w employees entering the business from outside the industry, school business leaders will continue to focus on professional development in all disciplines in the coming year. While the new ideas and energy these new recruits bring to the table are welcome additions, their lack of institutional knowledge can be problematic.

That historical continuity is important. If we don’t understand our history, as the saying goes, we are doomed to repeat it. Also important is focused leadership. California schools have seen some dramatic shifts in focus over the last few years. In 2013, districts focused on implementing Common Core.

Then there was the Local Control Funding Formula and the California School Dashboard. It’s no surprise that cbo s ’ heads are spinning.

Strategically juggling all these moving pieces means that leadership is pivotal right now, says Ed Manansala, county superintendent of schools for the El Dorado County Office of Education.

“Superintendents and other school leaders need to be clear about articulating focus on areas of priority,” says Manansala. “Don’t get caught up in the waves of all the changes.”

6

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT THROUGH DATA INSIGHT There is some good news amid all these challenges. The California School Dashboard and Local Control Accountability Plans are intended to help districts become more goal-oriented. Key performance indicators (kpi s ) can help leaders identify priorities as well as help school business officials find savings. kpi s measure the success of comparable

50 California School Business / Spring 2019

schools and districts, allowing districts to learn from each other.

Think of them as an opportunity to break an Olympic record, suggests Mike English, president and ceo of Forecast5 Analytics, Inc., a casbo Premier Partner.

In every Olympics, new world records are set. How does an athlete go about preparing to do that? By looking at the numbers.

Athletes first know what the record is and then set their mentality and effort toward breaking that record. Using benchmarks, the athlete allocates his or her resources toward achieving that goal.

Every sports team runs analytics to make their team perform better. “If a school business leader can help a school district set their own record,” says English, “that’s very exciting.”

The business side of schools has taken a tremendous hit over the last 10 years. Districts were trying to make cuts in disciplines occurring as far away from the classroom as possible. Of course, information technology, human resources and transportation all exist to support the classroom. So districts adjusted and became more efficient in various ways, such as contracting out or using technology. As the economy recovers, there is an opportunity to study kpi s to find more savings.

“Organizations pursuing kpi s have embraced continuous improvement and a commitment to being data-centric,” says English. “Historically, there’s been a lot of guessing, but districts who value continuous improvement are ultrafocused on having every decision they make being one they can measure. Academic return on investment is a journey, not a destination.”

For Manansala, that means a shift in practice around accountability to look at systems, not symptoms. Continuous improvement means looking at root

causes around whatever issue is at hand.

For school leaders, this means asking what the school business official’s link is to student outcomes and collaborating with teachers, support staff, administration, associations and the community to ensure achievement for all students.

7

ESSA REPORTING As audits required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (essa) start coming in, it’s important to dig in and understand what those reports mean. That means not only understanding your essa report but also thinking about effective ways to interpret those numbers for your community.

Some strategies to interpret the numbers will more clearly represent what is happening at specific schools or districts. For instance, salary metrics may make it look like one school is spending more than another per student, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Help families understand what’s driving the differences in numbers, says English, using worksheets that have profiles of different buildings. Numbers can be calculated by square footage or divided among the number of students. Understand the strategy as soon as possible so that you can be the author of your own essa story.

The California School Dashboard evaluates schools and districts on multiple data points and on the performance of student groups such as homeless children, foster youth and students with disabilities. It’s calling out discrepancies and opportunity gaps between specific student groups and schools. How are we closing those gaps?

There is a lot to understand behind the numbers. For instance, one school might spend $10,000 per student on a building, whereas a school right next

casbo bill-tracking tool keeps you in the know To help school leaders stay up to date on the latest hot topics, CASBO offers a bill-tracking tool and a range of other advocacy resources.

With the tracking tool at cqrcengage.com/casbo/home, you can search any bill by keyword or number.

On the same web page, you’ll also find details on the bills CASBO’s closely tracking and information on CASBO’s electronic advocacy newsletter, Policy Action Center, Budget & Fiscal Center and the CASBO Advocacy Network.

door could spend $17,000. By those numbers, a community whose school spends less may feel slighted. However, the difference could be reflecting a school that has more senior staff with higher salaries, or a school that has a high English-language-learner population requiring additional facilities resources to overcome its students’ language deficits.

The resulting public relations and public perception issues may be challenging to overcome. Districts should begin exploring what goes into these numbers so that when they are made public, their leaders can stand up and tell a story about each building.

“If you take a simplistic approach, you may end up showing more disparity in the equity calculation and misrepresent what’s happening,” says English.

“A decade ago, a cbo’s role was very compliance-driven. In an essa environment, the cbo role is moving toward strategy and being a key allocator of resources. Now, a cbo has a role in improving student outcomes.” z z z Jennifer Snelling is a freelance writer based in Eugene, Oregon.

What are the critical topics your district is tracking? Tweet us at #CASBO to let us know!

California School Business / casbo.org

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OUT & ABOUT

CASBO leaders in action: cultivating connections statewide ... and across the globe!

CASBO officers mingled with our presenters at the 2018 CBO Symposium on Nov. 15-16 in Monterey.

(Pictured, L-R: President Christina Aguilar; Vice President Jamie Dial; School Services of California, Inc., President John Gray; Beacon Economics Economist & Executive Director of Research Robert Kleinhenz; and Immediate Past President Nina Boyd.)

CASBO President Christina Aguilar (and her winning smile!) stopped by the CASBO booth at the California School Boards Association Annual Education Conference & Trade Show on Nov. 28-Dec. 1 in San Francisco.

CASBO honored California legislative staff members Ian Johnson, Annie Pham and Celia Mata with its inaugural “Capitol Staff Education Champion Award� for their work in promoting sound policy for public education on Feb. 21 at the State Capitol.

CASBO CEO & Executive Director Molly McGee Hewitt and her husband, Peter, took California School Business on the road to India and the Taj Mahal over the 2018 holidays!

Sacramento Section leadership was all smiles as they welcomed attendees to their 16th Annual Spring Conference & Business Expo on Mar. 2 at Twin Rivers USD in McClellan. (Pictured L-R: President Jay VanDuzer, Risk Mgmt.

PC Chair Jennifer McCain, State Director Kristi Blandford, Legislative Committee Rep. Jennifer Stahlheber, AMC Liaison Trina Caton, and Past President Kelly Burks.)

Please send in your Out & About photos from CASBO events along with the names of the people in the photos and the event where the photo was taken. Digital photos may be sent to jtribbey@casbo.org.

California School Business / casbo.org

53

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Now Sinek’s updated bestselling book, “Leaders Eat Last: Why Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t,” passes along the keys to great team leadership through a series of true stories. The paperback version includes new material on applying these concepts to millennials in the workplace, an addition based on Sinek’s viral video.

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LEADERSHIP

Who succeeds in school business today?

By Molly McGee Hewitt CEO & Executive Director

During one of our casbo professional development w o r k s h o p s , some attendees were discussing who succeeds today in school business. The discussion raised questions like: Why do some veteran employees get passed over by younger and less-experienced professionals? Are educational degrees and certifications more important than history, hands-on work and time with an organization?

Are veteran employees preventing others from moving up? Why do some people advance while others fail to be promoted?

These are excellent questions that almost every organization has dealt with at some point.

Nearly every person who has applied for a new or advanced career opportunity has faced failure. There were jobs you knew you could do and you felt you were the perfect candidate for, yet someone else got the position.

We may question whether the position was really open or if it was promised to someone else. We may wonder how the winning candidate got the job. Our egos may be hurt when we realize that someone we consider less than qualified got the position – and we didn’t.

My son, Denim Richards, is an actor.

Since he first started in the field, he has gone on hundreds of auditions. Most of the time, he doesn’t get the role. He explained to me many times that this is the nature of the business. If you’re supposed to get a role, you’ll get it. If it wasn’t the role for you, you should be thankful someone else was selected. His perseverance and positive attitude truly inspire me.

Today, he has a recurring role on the Paramount Television series “Yellowstone,” appears in commercials and is about to be featured in a new movie called “The Chickasaw Rancher.” As I write this, he’s continually going on auditions and expanding his career. He’s a realist and has adopted a great attitude about his industry.

Not all of us have adopted this attitude! Frequently, not getting a job or a promotion leads to ill will and bad feelings. Folks berate the process or the successful candidate and often fail to grasp their role in the process.

interpersonal relationships and potential conflicts with empathy, grace and skill.

Emotional intelligence allows you to operate with a variety of personalities and situations with grace and aplomb.

Knowing your emotional intelligence quotient is a valuable tool for your professional development. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to enhance your self-awareness, manage your emotions, motivate yourself and others, be empathetic, and enhance your social skills. In other words, you’ll become a better professional, a more valued colleague and a better human being! You

Knowing your emotional intelligence quotient is a valuable tool for your professional development.

The questions they fail to ask are: Was I really the best candidate for the job? What did the person who got the opportunity have that I don’t have? Do I need more education? Do I need a professional certification? Did my resume and application suit me well? Did I interview well?

Hiring the right person for the right job is about more than technical skills.

It’s about finding a match for the culture of the organization, finding a candidate who will embrace the mission and vision, finding a person you want to work with day-in and day-out. What often separates one candidate from another is their emotional intelligence. Research into this topic is ongoing, but the experts agree that emotional intelligence is defined as the capacity to be aware of, control and express one’s emotions, and to handle

may also start to recognize why some people succeed in school business and others don’t.

For over 3 0 years, I have been hiring, evaluating and supervising professionals. Early in my career, I made the same mistakes every new administrator makes, but as my leadership skills have grown and evolved, I’ve learned that you can train skills and teach people how to master their work.

What I also know for sure is that if I find a person who is kind and self-aware and who has emotional intelligence, I’ll hire them quickly over a candidate who, despite being a technical whiz, has poor interpersonal skills. z z z

California School Business / casbo.org

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Future Order Program Be ready for next year!

Schools and school districts!

If your school purchases supplies through a contract with Office Depot, take advantage of the Office Depot® Future Order Program. You can order back-to-school supplies now for a future delivery date, giving you the peace of mind that your order will be there when you need it.

Take advantage of your budget now by choosing from 2,000 school supplies that can be delivered 21–180 days in the future.

Future Order Program at a glance: • Curated school supply list Choose from 2,000 school supplies that you need most

• Extended cancellation window Take advantage of more time to cancel your order, should you need it

• In stock and ready Rest assured that our in-stock select items are ready when you need them

• Statement consolidation Keep your Future Order items together with one consolidated statement

• Delivery Schedule your order to be delivered by your requested time frame Features like these are just the beginning. Learn more at business.officedepot.com

A Statement is a list of all invoices and items for a single cart transaction (not for multiple orders on the same P.O.) and will be available for all shipments July 1 and later.

The Future Order option should be selected for delivery of items 21 or more days in the future (up to a maximum of 180 days). Pickup orders are not available with Future Order delivery.

Office Depot is a trademark of The Office Club, Inc. © 2019 Office Depot, Inc. All rights reserved. BSD013.19

California School Business / casbo.org

63

WHEN ACCIDENTS OCCUR,

more than one type of coverage is often involved—a vehicle accident might result in a liability, property, and workers’ compensation claim. Our members know that when facing these claims, they have a knowledgeable partner who provides broad coverage in all areas and is focused on the members’ goals.

Learn why California schools and colleges join ASCIP for their insurance needs and safer schools!

Join ASCIP today—the non-profit alternative!

• • • •

Property & Liability Workers’ Compensation Health Benefits School Construction Insurance

(562) 404-8029

www.ASCIP.org

C H A NGI N G LA N D S CA P E S In a world where an orange grove can turn into a housing development in the blink of an eye, sometimes it’s hard to keep up with change. California is constantly changing around us and schools and colleges are not immune to those changes. What wasn’t even on the radar yesterday, can become the greatest risk of today—and your next big claim.

Schools Excess Liability Fund

One thing that hasn’t changed is SELF’s commitment to its members. For more than 32 years, SELF has been protecting schools and colleges from the financial devastation of catastrophic losses.

California is an ever-changing landscape and the liability landscape changes with it. Let SELF help you navigate the new liability terrain. 866-453-5300

Schools Excess Liability Fund

64 California School Business / Spring 2019

selfjpa.org

YOUR LEGAL PARTNER From budgeting and bond counsel, to contracting and construction, our attorneys carry out your vision.

Together, let’s build up the next generation.

Charter Schools | Facilities & Business | Labor & Employment Litigation | Public Finance | Public Safety Special Education | Students | Technology & Innovation

Lozano Smith

Smart business. Smart schools.™

(916) 446-7517  www.sscal.com

School Services of California, Inc., (SSC) is the leading provider of consulting, governmental relations, and information services for K-14 educational agencies in California. Since 1975, SSC has been proud to provide services to nearly every educational agency in the state.

CASBO_Half-Page Horizontal Mag Ad_SSC_2019.indd 1

• • • • •

Management Consulting Services Governmental Relations Services Collective Bargaining and Factfinding Services Executive Searches and Recruitment State Budget Conferences and Issue-Specific Workshops • The Fiscal Report and Specialized Publications 1/30/2019 10:24:30 AM

California School Business / casbo.org

65

Facilitaang the Permanent Retennon & Exchange of Organized &

Secure Educaaon Records!

School Districts

Community Colleges

Country Office of Educaaon

Universiies

Private Schools

Trade Schools

www.EdFiles.com Effective Insurance Solutions for Schools!

ReLiEF (Regional Liability Excess Fund) Serving California schools since 1986!

• • • • • •

ReLiEF

Regional Liability Excess Fund

Broad Property & Liability Coverage Regional Underwriting Seamless Coverage Document Accredited with Excellence Specialized Loss Control Services Multiple Retention Options

ReLiEF is comprised of two independent regionally-based NON-PROFIT, MEMBER-OWNED and OPERATED California JPAs. Together we serve 442 local educational agencies, representing in excess of 2.1 Million ADA and $61 billion in total insured values (TIV).

www.reliefjpa.org Keenan & Associates License #0451271

66 California School Business / Spring 2019

We get the big picture.

A Proven Leader in Representing California’s School Districts Cerritos | Fresno | Irvine | Marin | Pasadena | Pleasanton | Riverside | Sacramento | San Diego

Strength through Diversity www.aalrr.com • Cerritos | Fresno | Irvine | Marin | Pasadena | Pleasanton | Riverside | Sacramento | San Diego

California School Business / casbo.org

67

ADVERTISER INDEX

Aeries Software, Inc.

Direct Energy Business

School Outfitters

(888) 487-7555 aeries.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

(732) 750-6888 business.directenergy.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

(800) 260-2776 schooloutfitters.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover

American Fidelity

EdFiles

School Services of California, Inc.

(760) 917-1158 americanfidelity.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

(657) 217-3260 edfiles.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

(916) 446-7517 sscal.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

ASCIP

ENGIE Services U.S.

Schools Excess Liability Fund (SELF)

(562) 404-8029 ascip.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

(925) 257-4313 engieservices.us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

(866) 453-5300 selfjpa.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo

ENGIE Storage

Sehi Computer Products, Inc.

(562) 653-3428 aalrr.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

(408) 313-8089 engiestorage.com/site-analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

(800) 346-6315 buysehi.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

AXA

Forecast5 Analytics, Inc.

Self-Insured Schools of California (SISC)

(866) 401-3030 axa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

(630) 955-7616 forecast5analytics.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

(800) 972-1727 sisc.kern.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Bay Alarm Company

ForeFront Power

Smartetools, Inc.

(800) 610-1000 bayalarm.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

(212) 748-9821 forefrontpower.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

(866) Smarte-1 smartetools.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

California Financial Services

Horace Mann

Sourcewell

(707) 544-7800 calschools.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

(866) 999-1945 horacemann.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

(218) 894-5467 sourcewell-mn.gov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

California Schools Joint Powers Authorities

Keenan & Associates

Southwest School & Office Supply

(909) 763-4900 csjpa.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

(310) 212-3344 keenan.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

(800) 227-7159 southwestschool.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

California’s Valued Trust

KNN Public Finance

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc.

(800) 288-9870 cvtrust.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

(510) 839-8200 knninc.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

(415) 364-6839 stifel.com/publicfinance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover

CDW-Government LLC

Login Logix

Tarkett

(800) 808-4239 cdwg.com/k12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

(833) 618-6600 loginlogix.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

(800) 899-8916 tarkettna.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Christy White Associates

Lozano Smith

TerraVerde Energy

(877) 220-7229 christywhite.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

(888) 925-9115 lozanosmith.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

(888) 316-2597 terraverde.energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Cisco

MeTEOR Education

VALIC

(800) 553-6387 cisco.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

(800) 699-7516 meteoreducation.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

(888) 569-7055 valic.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

Office DEPOT

Vanir Construction Management, Inc.

(626) 857-7300 claconnect.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

(888) 263-3423 business.officedepot.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

(916) 575-8888 vanir.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Climatec

PEPPM

Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Co., LLP

(602) 273-1759 climatec.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

(855) 654-5290 peppm.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

(909) 466-4410 vtdcpa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Colbi Technologies

Piper Jaffray

Virco

(714) 505-9544 colbitech.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19, 58

(800) 876-1854 piperjaffray.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover

(800) 448-4726 virco.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Dannis Woliver Kelley

Public Agency Retirement Services (PARS)

WLC Architects, Inc.

(916) 978-4040 dwkesq.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

(800) 540-6369 x127 pars.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

(909) 987-0909 wlcarchitects.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

DecisionInsite

Regional Liability Excess Fund (ReLiEF)

(877) 204-1392 decisioninsite.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

(310) 212-3344 reliefjpa.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Development Group, Inc.

School Innovations & Achievement

(530) 229-0071 dgi.rocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

(800) 487-9234 sia-us.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

68 California School Business / Spring 2019

Trusted Solutions.

Lasting Results.

For 35 years, California school districts have trusted PARS with the successful design and implementation of customized retirement solutions that address their specific organizational and budgetary needs. As a leading provider, PARS has helped over 900 public agency clients implement effective solutions including:

• Early Retirement Incentives (SRP) • OPEB Solutions Program, in partnership with CSBA, for prefunding retiree healthcare

• Pension Rate Stabilization Program (PRSP) for prefunding pension • Social Security Alternative for Part-Time Employees (ARS) Visit us at Booth #710 During the CASBO Annual Conference to learn about how we can help your district with a custom, turn-key solution.

Contact us at: (800) 540-6369 ext. 127 info@pars.org | pars.org

M A N A G E

The Perfect Fit

T H E

BUSINESS OF EDUCATION

EARN YOUR MASTER’S IN SCHOOL BUSINESS LEADERSHIP ONLINE!



Real Time Budget Controls



Efficient Work Flow Management



Eliminate Duplicate Entry



Reduce Paperwork



Web Based



County Office Interfaces



Excellent Customer Service

Smartetools provides a fully integrated business and human resource management software system with a full range of functionality tailored to the unique needs of your school district saving you time and money.

The Smart Choice for the Business of Education

www.wilkes.edu/sbl • (800) WILKES-U Ext. 5535

1-866-Smarte-1 1-866-Smarte-1

info@smartetools.com info@smartetools.com

www.smartetools.com www.smartetools.com

California School Business / casbo.org

69

L AST WORDS

”

In the same way that our school system feels strongly about requiring vaccinations and annual physicals, I feel strongly that it is essential to add a mental health component to that annual physical.

– Madchen Amick

5-9

The ideal team size is between five and nine. Contrary to the generally accepted assumption that management can fix a problem by throwing people at it, adding team members beyond that point decreases the likelihood of success.

– Inc.

”

37%

Over one-third of students with a mental health condition age 14-21 and older who are served by special education drop out – the highest dropout rate of any disability group.

– NAMI

”

Not finance. Not strategy.

Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare.

– Patrick Lencioni

2/3

None of us is as smart as all of us.

Two-thirds of U.S. teachers quit before retirement. Their main reasons? Low salaries, dissatisfaction with testing and accountability pressures, lack of opportunities for advancement, and dissatisfaction with working conditions.

– Ken Blanchard

– Learning Policy Institute

Do you have an inspirational quote or interesting statistic to share with your colleagues?

Send your favorites to jtribbey@casbo.org.

70 California School Business / Spring 2019

Choose a Partner Who Knows California Education Finance Piper Jaffray California Public Finance Piper Jaffray is a leader in providing financial services for California school districts and community college districts. Our team of dedicated K-14 education finance professionals has more than 150 years of combined experience and service to the education industry.

•

General Obligation Bonds

•

Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes

•

Certificates of Participation

•

Interim Project Financing

•

Mello-Roos/CFD Bonds

•

Debt Refinancing/Restructuring

Timothy Carty Managing Director 310 297-6011 timothy.p.carty@pjc.com

Rich Calabro Managing Director 310 297-6013 richard.n.calabro@pjc.com

Ivory Li Managing Director 415 616-1614 ivory.r.li@pjc.com

Elaine Reodica Associate 310 297-6034 elaine.v.reodica@pjc.com

Trennis Wright Senior Vice President 310 297-6018 trennis.l.wright@pjc.com

Ilya Barats Analyst 310 297-6016 ilya.x.barats@pjc.com

Mark Adler Managing Director 310 297-6010 mark.j.adler@pjc.com

Pam Hammer Office Supervisor 310 297-6023 pamela.a.hammer@pjc.com

Jin Kim Senior Vice President 310 297-6020 jin.y.kim@pjc.com

Piper Jaffray California public finance investment banking offices are located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento and Orange County. piperjaffray.com Since 1895. Member SIPC and NYSE. © 2019 Piper Jaffray & Co. 1/19 CM-19-0016

California School Business / casbo.org

71

FINANCING CALIFORNIA’S FUTURE

Let us help you achieve your financing goals.

Visit www.stifel.com/institutional/public-finance or contact a member of our School Finance Group:

Stifel is the leading underwriter of California K-12 school district bonds.* We assist local districts in providing financing for facility projects and cash flow borrowing, including new construction, modernization, renovation, and technology

Northern California | San Francisco Office Bruce Kerns Managing Director (415) 364-6839 bkerns@stifel.com

Erica Gonzalez Managing Director (415) 364-6841 egonzalez@stifel.com

Roberto J. Ruiz Director (415) 364-6856 rruiz@stifel.com Southern California | Los Angeles Office Dawn Vincent Managing Director (213) 443-5006 dvincent@stifel.com

Robert Barna Managing Director (213) 443-5205 rbarna@stifel.com

improvements. Our work with California school districts includes general obligation bonds, Mello-Roos bonds, certificates of participation, leases, bridge financings, TRANs, and the refinancing or restructuring of previously issued bonds.

We give back to the communities we serve by providing college scholarships to graduating high school seniors through Stifel’s annual Fabric of Society essay competition and by supporting school-related foundations and functions through the Stifel Education Program (“StEP”). * Source: Thomson Reuters SDC, by par amount and number of issues for negotiated transactions in 2017.

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated | Member SIPC & NYSE | www.stifel.com/publicfinance 72 California School Business / Spring 2019